There's a land of wide open spaces, so many, many, many faces.
There's a land of wide open spaces, so many, many beautiful faces.
Namibia, on our way.
This is Namibia.
Prepare yourself for the unexpected.
This is where you challenge the world's highest sand dunes.
Or explore one of the deepest canyons in the world.
Where you travel back in time at one of the richest rock art sites in Africa.
And watch art come to life against the backdrop of one of the most stunning pans on earth.
This is Namibia.
Where people are deeply connected to their past and excited about their future.
Namibia is Africa at its best.
And it is the only place in the world where you will hear and experience the greatest African wildlife recovery story ever told.
A story of rights and responsibilities.
Of daring to set a new course, while at the same time respecting the past.
Namibia is a young country, but we have an old story to tell.
We were actually growing up in an era where wildlife was a main source of income and food to the local communities.
But that was not through legalized forms.
And my father has been a poacher all the years.
And this is how he brought us up.
People were doing it illegally according to the Nature Conservation official at the time.
But this was about to change.
After independence in 1990, visionary conservationists in the field and in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism
enacted policy changes that allowed rural communities to benefit from wildlife by forming conservancies.
This is a natural habitat for what animals.
And I think this is where we should strive to create natural habitat as it used to be.
In 1998, the first four conservancies were registered.
Today, there are 65 communal conservancies covering well over 17% of the country
and embracing one in four rural Namibians.
A conservancy is learned that the government gives to the local people to look after the environment
and open hospitality industries like this so that we all can get benefits at the end of the day.
The tourism industry has played a significant role in the success of community conservation.
Over 30 joint venture lodges operate in communal conservancies across Namibia,
providing jobs, training, income to conservancy members and experiences of a lifetime.
We are offering our guests beautiful safaris like elephant safaris,
rhino trekking, guided walks, local village visits, because this is our home.
But this is not all that Namibia has to offer and conservancies are just part of a vast protected area's network.
Since independence, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has spearheaded the proclamation of seven new national parks.
Namibia's conservation commitment runs deep and strong.
Namibia's conservation commitment runs deep and strong.
Namibia's conservation commitment runs deep and strong.
Namibia's conservation commitment runs deep and strong.
The concerted efforts of the Namibian government and the Namibian people have changed the conservation landscape
from the 13% of land that was protected in 1990 to well over 42% of the country's environment that is under conservation management today.
What we have done as a country include a lot of projects which we have done which really could inspire the rest of the world
is the custodian project whereby we are introducing the black rhino back into the community.
In fact, Namibia is the only country in the world that is moving endangered species such as black rhino
from national parks to communal and commercial land.
The custodian program is so successful that rhinos are now being moved from conservancy to conservancy.
Namibia is also the only continental country in the world where the entire coastline is protected
stretching nearly 1,000 miles from the Kunene River in the north to the Orange River in the south.
Some areas are set aside as core conservation areas while others allow for multiple uses.
It's smart, progressive conservation and adventure tourism has a vital place within this impressive mix.
It's the large landscape results that make the achievements in Namibia so significant.
These aren't isolated pockets of land reserved for animals but national parks, conservancies
and trans frontier parks with five neighboring countries that create a continuous conservation landscape
allowing wildlife to move freely and ecosystems to function effectively.
The Kaprivi is an integral part, a very small part of Namibia but it is a very important area
that allows the free movement of elephants from country to country such as from Botswana to Namibia,
Namibia to Zambia, Angola and other way around.
Through engagement with conservancies, conservation organizations and Namibia's professional tourism sector
you have a chance to be part of Namibia's remarkable success story.
My generation is ready to take conservation from where our forefather has left it to the future
and even my children will even take it even step further that would add value to the existence and livelihood of our people.
So what does the greatest African wildlife recovery story ever told have to do with adventure tourism?
Everything.
Adventure tourism needs space and in Namibia the nation is committed to protecting and sharing this precious resource.
Adventure tourism needs to challenge to provide ways of testing and finding yourself
but above all adventure tourism needs to inspire.
This land, its people, its wildlife and its remarkable stories has inspired change on a grand scale.
Come to Namibia and let us inspire you.
